Dispensing package for sheet material



March 16, 1965 R. F. DOYLE DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR SHEET MATERIAL Filed March 28, 1963 FIG I m K Y B ATTORNEY United States Patent 01. ice

3,173,538 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 3,173,538 DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR SHEET MATERIAL Raymond F. Doyle, San Francisco, Calif., assignor of onehalf to C. Dudley DeVelhiss, San Francisco, Calif. Filed Mar. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 268,764 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-57) This invention relates to the manual dispensing of sheet materials, one sheet at a time from a specific type of standard container. More definitely, the invention relates to an improvement in the packaging of sheet material in hinge cover, drop front set-up boxes.

Hinge cover, drop front set-up boxes are commonly used as a combined commercial package and dispenser for various types of sheet paper products, including, but not limited to, photosensitive paper, carbon paper and typewriter paper. Although this is a relatively expensive container it has the advantage for the user in that by raising the hinged cover it permits easy access to the vertically stacked sheets enclosed. The removal of one sheet at a time is rendered quick and easy if the sheets are fanned out longitudinally so that a finger may lift up and grasp each succeeding overlapping edge. Where the use is constant or fairly repetitive, however, as in the case of typing or making numerous photocopies, it is inconvenient to both lift the hinged cover and remove a sheet simultaneously. Unless two hands are used the hinged cover will tend to fall toward the closed position during the removing manipulation, and thus interfere with the speedy and accurate removal of one sheet at a time.

A remedy for the problem of the falling cover is afforded by the present invention. The invention provides a hinge cover, drop front set-up box for dispensing sheet materials one sheet at a time, in which the cover may be propped open during use and released to the closed position when not in use without interference with the contents or the access thereto. This is accomplished by one or more tabs secured to or integral with a strip structure packaged with the contents on the inside of the box so that when the cover is open the tab or tabs may be made to engage the inside side portions of the hinged cover and hold it in the open position. Means are also packaged Within the box for holding the sheets in fanned relationship during the dispensing.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a structure for extending the usefulness of hinge cover, drop front set-up boxes with means for dispensing the contents one sheet at a time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure for a hinge cover, drop front set-up box which prevents the hinge cover from closing during removal of sheets from the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spanning structure which prevents the cover of a hinge cover, drop front set-up box from closing during the dispensing of the contents and cooperates with the means for maintaining the sheets in the box in fanned relationship.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, economy and ease of assembly and disassembly, also such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will fully appear and as are inherently possessed by the device and invention described herein.

The invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the same is illustrative of the invention and that the invention is capable of modification and change and compre hends other details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hinge cover, drop front set-up box, with the hinged cover raised to show the tabs and partly broken away at the rear portion to show the fan insert dispensing means in operative position within the box;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the fan retaining means removed from the box in operative form with the fanned sheets carried thereon; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the tab holding means in the operative position but removed from the box.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a container 10, referred to in the trade as a hinge cover, drop front set-up box, which has a top 11, side walls 12, defining the height of the box, and a rear end wall 14 and a front end wall 15. Spaced from the front end wall 15, the sides are cut up to the juncture with the top 11 as at 16. The top 11 is scored along the line 17 connecting the upper limits of the cuts 16 so that the front end wall, the front portion of the side walls and the front portion of the top, collectively termed the cover, is folded back as a unit 23 as shown in FIGURE 1, to provide access to the sheet material on the interior. Since this is a unitized tray type box, it is provided with an inner conforming tray having a bottom 18, side walls 20 and a front end wall 21 and if desired can have a rear end wall 22, although this is not essential. The front end wall 21 folds upwardly to meet the vertical position of the side walls 20 although it is not joined to the same and forms a drop front. When the front end will 21 is folded up in the vertical position where its extremities meet the butt ends of the side Walls 20, a tray is formed so that the closure portion 23 of the top when lowered into its closed position will overlap and form a continuous box-like structure. Such boxes are usually wrapped with a skin of paper or the like, to make it an integral unit which is accessible at the front, and are well-known in the art. They are used particularly for dispensing vertically positioned sheet material from commercial packages or containers. While this is a comparatively expensive package, nevertheless, it is widely used for packaging of light sensitive sheets, such as photocopy paper, because of its relatively easy accessibility to the vertically stacked sheets.

FIGURE 2 shows a fanning insert 25 which is the same size as the sheet material 32 and is supplied with the com mercial container along with the paper or sheet material. The fanning insert 25 has an end piece 26 folded or hinged back at 36 upon its upper surface and is of such a size that the folded flat portion 26 when folded and reinserted within the box has its exposed edge 27 in engagement with the undersurface of the top 11 to form an angle at 28 of substantially 15. From the fold 30 to its forward edge 31 the distance is less than the interior length of the container 10. The insert 25 may be made from paperboard, pressboard, plastic or any other suitable material which will retain its shape and function as herein described.

As previously indicated, the fanning member 25 is the same size as and is packaged with the vertically stacked sheets. In order to dispense the contents one sheet at a time using the fanning dispensing means 25, the contents are removed and fanned longitudinally so that the sheets assume the position shown by the sheets 32 illustrated in FIGURE 2 with the sheets angled downwardly and inwardly from the top in stepped relation. The fanned sheets are then placed on the fan retaining insert 25. The flap 26 is folded over so that the fanned edges of the paper engage the under surface of the flap 26. The fan retaining insert 25 with its overlying paper supply 32 is then returned to the container 10 folded edge 30 being inserted first, and then pushed toward the rear thereof until the top sheet projects beyond the flattened out front end wall 21. When properlyinserted', the fanned sheets 32 will conform to and be maintained by the angularity of'fiap 26. 1

Frequently when the contents are being dispensed, the

hinged cover 23 tendsto fall downwardly toward the closed position, particularly as the opening and closing continues during use and weakens the fold 17'. But for whatever reason, it tends to get in the Way of speedy access to the available top sheet.

In order to overcome this problem and to aid in the dispensing of the sheets one at a time, a strip or tab holding means 33 is provided. At the ends of this strip are hinged portions 34. 'The distance between the scoring 35 forming the hinges for the tab holders 34 is approximately the width of the interior of the box 10. The length of the tab holders 34* is such that when they are raised to the perpendicular position shown in FIGURE 3 they-will engage the inside side portions of the hinged cover 23; Preferably they are long enough to' abut the inside of the end 15. The strip 33 with the tab holders moved 90 to the position shown,

in FIGURE 3 is slipped into position underthe fanned contents of the container and will hold the cover in upright position until the-last sheet, or until they are physically returned to the folded position. It is apparent that only one tab 34' will do the holding 'job quite satisfactorily although not as positively. In this manner the movable cover 23 of the dispensing container is positively main 7 tained in proper positionand out of the Way of any interference with fast access to'the contents of the container. The strip 33 will normally have the same, thickness as and will be made from thesame material as the fanning insert 25. Thus, when'it is in proper functioning posi-' tion it will be under the fanned sheets 32between the edge 31 and the front edge of the bottom sheet. In this man ner it compensatesfor the lack of space represented by the thickness of the fanning member 25, at the forward end of the container, and in fact, the undulations which result from the proper positioning of the strip'member 33 give a better separation for'selecting one sheet at a time from the exposedjfa nned contents.

It will be understood that the tabs-34- may the container or to any other structure resting within the container aslong as they are positioned properly relative side walls 20, or to the bottom 18, as by gluing or any other suitable means. Another alternative is to glue the strip 33 with its'hinged member at the bottom, 18 in the proper location.

It will be also understood that any form of the hinged cover supports may-be used with this type of container without the fanretaining member 25, or with any other form of fanning'means.

I claim:

box, said insert having a flat section and a hinged section, .said flat section resting on the interior bottom of said box, said hinged section being bent inwardly and forwardly so that theterminating free edge bears against the inner surface of said box top forming an angular stop, and a transverse member along the bottom of said box adjacent the line of the hinged cover having at-leastone hinged tab support adjacent the side of the box movable in an arc of 90 for supporting the hinged cover in the full open position without interferring withth'e co'ntents of the box or the access thereto. I

i 2. A package for dispensing sheet material One sheet at a time. comprising in combination a standard hinge cover, drop front set-up box having a hingedcover at one end movable as a unit'for'pr'oviding access to theinterior, sheet inaterial'contents within said box in stacked form in the same size as said box, an insertpacka'ged with and the same size'as the contents, cooperating with the interior of said box, said insert having a fiat portion and a hinged portion, said fiat portion resting on the interior bottom of said box and'said hinged section being bent inwardly and forwardly so that the" terminating free edge bears against the inner surface, of topot' said box in the operative posi tion retaining and maintaining the sheet material in fanned form, andtwo tab supports secured within said box at either side thereof adjacent thehinge of said cover and disposed to. raise in an arc of 90 to engage, and support the hinged cover in the full open position without interfer'ring with thecontents of the box or access thereto.

7 3;. A standard package for dispensing sheet material one sheet at a time comprising in combination aconventional hinge'cover, dropfront set-up box having-a hinged cover at the front end for access'toth'e interior thei'eofisaid hinge for said cover being delineated by a transverse hinge line, sheet material of the same size as said box vertically stacked within said box, a fanning retaining member the same size as said sheets also packaged withsaid box, said fanning retaining member transversely divided hingedly into a flat section and an -an'gled section, said flat section being lessthan the length of said box and'the free end of .said angled section bearing against the interior top of .said box, and a' transversemember along the bottom in-' terior of the box adjacent said' transverse hinge line having hinged portions-at each en'd' movable 90 in a vertical p'lane'packaged on the interior of said package, said hinged portions when raised to the vertical position in juxtapositionto the hinge of-the cover will engage and maintain 7 to the hinge 17; .For example; tabs may be afiixed to the 1. A packagefor dispensing sheet material'one sheet at 7 providing access to the interior and movable as a unit, an

insert for-packaging with the sheet material contents and the same size thereof cooperating with the interior of said the cover in the open position without interference with the access to or the dispensingof the sheetmaterial from said package.

7 References Cited By'tlie Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 7,295 9/76 Osbourn 206-57 176,341 4/76 Osbourn 20657 1,128,276 2/15 Cohna 206-57 1,769,596 7 /30 Neidich 20663 1,803,736 7 5 31 Sinclair 206 -57 2,518,711 8/50 Mulford' 206-4533 2,604,253 V 7/52 Turner. n 229,--7 '.2,923;401 j 2/60 Gagar 206+45.33 3,083,107 3/63 Tindall' 206+4'533' Bowman 206-4533 THERON CONDON, Primary Examiner. GEORG E 0-. RALSTON, Examinen; 

2. A PACKAGE FOR DISPENSING SHEET MATERIAL ONE SHEET AT A TIME COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A STANDARD HINGE COVER, DROP FRONT SET-UP BOX HAVING A HINGED COVER AT ONE END MOVABLE AS A UNIT FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR, SHEET MATERIAL CONTENTS WITHIN SAID BOX IN STACKED FORM IN THE SAME SIZE AS SAID BOX, AN INSERT PACKAGED WITH AND THE SAME SIZE AS THE CONTENTS, COOPERATING WITH THE INTERIR OF SAID BOX, SAID INSERT HAVING A FLAT PORTION AND A HINGED PORTION, SAID FLAT PORTION RESTING ON THE INTERIOR BOTTOM OF SAID BOX AND SAID HINGED SECTION BEING BENT INWARDLY AND FORWARDLY SO THAT THE TERMINATING FREE EDGE BEARS AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF TOP OF SAID BOX IN THE OPERATIVE POSITION RETAINING AND MAINTAINING THE SHEET MATERIAL IN FANNED FORM, AND TWO TAP SUPPORTS SECURED WITHIN SAID BOX AT 